1. Field
The aspects of the disclosed embodiments relate generally to generating image data for on-line shopping for users More specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to a system, method and software product for generating image data for on-line shopping of one or more clothing items, wherein the system provides an environment in which a given user of the system is able to fit the one or more clothing items to a virtual representation of the given user or to a default model. Furthermore, the present invention relates to software products recorded on machine-readable data storage media, wherein the software products are executable upon computing hardware for implementing aforementioned methods.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
On-line shopping web-sites, for example supported in a contemporary Internet environment, are well known. Indeed, on-line shopping is one of the most popular ways in which the Internet is presently utilized. For example, shopping for clothing on-line via the Internet is growing in popularity because it potentially offers users a broader range of choice of clothing in comparison to earlier off-line clothes boutiques and superstores.
There are on-line shopping web-sites, namely “shops”, whereat users can “fit clothes” before making a purchase of the clothes. For example, a web-site Fits.me requests that a given user of the web-site inputs his/her body measurements. The web-site provides a service which makes a cyberspace model of the given user based upon the inputted measurements. Thereafter, the given user can try store clothes on the model to determine whether or not there is a satisfactory fit of the clothes to the model. A problem resulting from the use of this web-site is that it requires the given user to input numerous measurement parameters which is rather laborious
Alternatively, a known web-site Lazylazy.com provides a service wherein a given user can observe how one or more selected items of clothing appear when applied to a fixed model. Moreover, a web-site Stuku.com provides a service wherein a body scan of a given user is performed using a software tool Kinetics; however, such body scanning requires additional tools and is found by users to be unwieldy.
In a published United States patent application no. US2011/10273592A1 (“Image Processing Device, Image Processing Method and Program”, Sony Corp.), there is described an image processing device including a clothing extractor for extracting a face or a head from an input image, wherein the face or head portion is a region estimated to be a face or head image, and extracting a clothing region from a region immediately below the face or head portion. The clothing region is a region estimated to be a clothing image, and a clothing converter changes clothing in the input image by performing predetermined image processing on an image in the clothing region in the input image.
In a published United States patent application no. US2010/0111370A1 (“Method and apparatus for estimating body shape”, Brown University), there is described a system and method of estimating a body shape of an individual from input data such as images or range maps. The body may appear in one or more poses captured at different times and a consistent body shape is computed for all poses. The body may appear in minimal tight-fitting clothing or in normal clothing wherein the method produces an estimate of the body shape under the clothing. Clothed or bare regions of the body are detected via image classification and the fitting method is adapted to treat each region differently. Body shapes are represented parametrically and are matched to other bodies based on shape similarity or other features. Standard measurements are extracted using parametric or non-parametric functions of body shape. Components of the system support many applications in body scanning, advertising, social networking, collaborative filtering and Internet clothing shopping.
In a granted United States patent no. U.S. Pat. No. 7,308,332B2 (“Virtual Clothing Modelling”, Kabushiki Kaisha), there is described a method of trying on clothes by way of a simulation process, wherein an image sequence is processed by employing a posture dictionary, and a three-dimensional figure, obtained in advance, of a person who wishes to try on clothing. The process includes estimating the posture of the person, and simulating the motions of the clothes, in agreement with estimated time series posture data. There is utilized a virtual modeling apparatus comprising an imaging device configured to take an image sequence, a posture-estimator which estimates a posture of a person in the image sequence from three-dimensional figure data of the person and from data for various postures, a posture corrector which generates smooth and natural posture time series data from the timer series of estimated postures, a clothes simulator which calculates the motions of the clothing being modeled, and a display device which displays images of the person as if they were actually wearing the clothing.
In a published United States patent no. U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,528 (“Digital Dressing Room”, Korszun), there is described a system and software programs and a database of digital images, including garment images and a basic model body image, which allows a client to select and “try on”, individual or by mixing and matching, the different garment images of the database. The system renders an image of the client's body in the garments, with the client's specific curves, bulges and height which reflect the client's body measurements. In overview, the system comprises two parts: a pre-process and an online process. The pre-process prepares the images for inclusion in the database and addresses at least the following issues:    (a) photographing and digitizing the images;    (b) deriving stencils of the images;    (c) correcting image misalignments;    (d) centring the basic model body;    (e) detaching the arms/sleeves of the images; and    (f) classifying garments.
The online process, which employs image processing techniques including geometric transformations, for example digital warping, translations, rotations, edge detection, and so forth, takes as user inputs the client's measurements, for example bust, waist, hips and height, and the selected garments. Thereafter, the online process layers the garments, thereby creating an ensemble, and then transforms the basic model body to reflect the client's height, translates the ensemble unto the body reflecting the client's height, analyzes the amount of garment ease in the ensemble, reshapes the torso of the clad body to show the client's girth, calculates the trigonometric functions used to re-attach untransformed arms/sleeves, and then attaches arms/sleeves onto the reshaped torso. The result is a rendering of a clothing ensemble as it would drape a body with the client's measurements.
In a published United States patent application no. US2011/0298897A1 (“System and Method for 3D Virtual Try-on of Apparel on an Avatar”, Sareen), there is described a method of, and apparatus for, providing for 3-dimensional (3D) virtual try-on apparel on an avatar. The method of fitting a garment on a person's body on-line comprises receiving specifications of a garment, receiving body specifications of one or more fit models, receiving one or more grade rules, receiving one or more fabric specifications, and receiving specifications of a consumer's body. The value of one or more fabric constants is determined according to the received one or more fabric specifications. One or more virtual garments in graded sizes are created and stored in a database based on the received garment specifications and fabric constants. Moreover, one or more graded virtual fit models are created and stored in a database based on the received specifications of the fit model. Each virtual garment is optionally draped on the related virtual fit model to create a fit-model drape. An avatar is received or created to represent a consumer's body shape. One of the virtual garments is optionally selected, draped, and displayed to the consumer.
In a published United States patent application no. US2011/0234581A1 (“Methods and Systems for 3D rendering of a Virtual Augmented Replica of a Product Image merged with a Model Image of a Human-body Feature”, AR (ES) Technologies Ltd.), there is described a system for rendering a merged 3D augmented replica of a 3D product image and a 3D model image of a body part. A 3D modeling engine transforms an acquired 2D image of a body part into a 3D augmented replica thereof. A graphical user interface (GUI) enables the merging, displaying and manipulating of the 3D product image and the 3D augmented replica of a body part. Thus, there is described a method of using an image of a face of a person to look for and estimate missing parts of the face, and using these missing parts to interpolate missing parts; the method creates a 3D models of persons over which, for example, spectacles can be tested in a web store, for example Internet web-site.
Aforementioned known approaches to on-line shopping result in a problem of a lack of opportunity to try on clothes, for example to determine whether or not the clothes are of suitable size for the users, and whether or not the clothes are suited in style for characteristics of the users. Such contemporary lack of opportunity to try on clothes prior to making purchases on-line results in many returns, and Internet web stores are thus obliged to be able to handle a large volume of returned clothes. Thus, there contemporarily exists a lack of Internet or similar communication network services which enable users to try out different clothing before making an actual on-line purchase of the clothing.